


Further Down the Road

by Fishyz9



Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-27
Updated: 2019-03-23
Packaged: 2019-10-17 21:36:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17568374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fishyz9/pseuds/Fishyz9
Summary: Two big milestones. One eagerly accepted, the other mistakenly and prematurely stumbled upon.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Reveriemare](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reveriemare/gifts).



> This follows a prompt from Reveriemare who requested: Nico trying to propose to Levi and the struggles he's experiencing, but is he really ready to marry?
> 
> I'm happy to receive prompts in my inbox, I won't make promises but I'm happy to see if anything sinks it's teeth into me.

It feels cruel, but at the same time I can’t reconcile that feeling with who I know Levi to be. It was supposed to be a milestone, something exciting and meaningful and he just… pulled the rug from under my feet and I don’t even know why. My Levi wouldn’t make me feel this way, surely? He wouldn’t leave me out in the cold like this, confused, at a loss and pretty much just… hurting. But that’s exactly what he’s done.

When I think about how much courage it took to ask the question in the first place it makes me feel pathetic.

oOo

“And a lot of people think that the movie is basically about this big romance between Aragorn and Arwen when really, _really_ it’s about friendship and perseverance in the face of unfathomable odds to overcome evil. And a ring. It’s about a ring.”

We’re on my sofa, deciding to stay in for the night to watch a movie which Levi admittedly picked and I’m actually enjoying. Comfy and in our sweats, I sit with my feet propped up on the coffee table, Levi reclined against me with his head in my lap so that I can gently drag my fingers through his hair, a small smile on my lips as he expounds about the virtues of Tolkien. I love hearing him speak about anything with passion. I love his passion. I love him.

“You’re putting me to sleep.”

“Hmm?”

“This.” He gestures near his head. “I love when you do that.”

“Pay back.”

He looks up at me and I smirk, straightening his glasses for him. He’s taken to contacts at work but when at home with me; he reverts back to his glasses. It’s most likely because Helm isn’t here to help him but I do like to think that it’s because he’s just comfortable here.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re always messing with my hair at work. Dragging me into on call rooms and mauling me.” I grin. “Have you any idea how much crap I get from Linc if I forget to smooth it down?”

He snorts. “I’m sorry.”

“No you’re not.”

He grins. “You’re right, I’m not. It’s like leaving my mark on you. Seeing as I can’t actually –”

“It’s a simple rule, honey. Nothing above the collar. The rest of me is all yours.”

“Maybe I want people to see.”

“Then grab my ass or something, no need to _bruise_ me.”

He laughs, turning his head away against my knee. The sound makes me smile. “I’ll remember that.” He says.

I run my fingers through his hair again and he turns to look up at me, a quiet, small smile in place. I tilt my head slightly. “What?”

“Nothing, I just like looking at you.”

 “You’re missing the movie.”

“I’ve seen it five hundred times.”

“Then why are we watching it?” I laugh.

“Because you haven’t seen it and I love it and I want you to love it too.”

“I love it.” My thumb traces the shape of his jaw. “Love you, too.”

He hums softly, turning his head to press his lips against my wrist.

“Levi?” I swallow, my throat suddenly dry and my heart in my throat as I realise I’m finally going to do it, I’m just going to ask. “Do you…would you want to…uh…”

He gives me a confused smile, his brow creasing and his voice soft, affectionate. “Why do you sound nervous? You’re never nervous.”

“Do you want to live with me?”

He sucks in a quick breath. He slowly sits up, his arm braced over me on the arm of the sofa, his back to the TV. “You want me to move in?”

I swallow hard, wanting so much to just be smooth and charming like every time I’d rehearsed asking him in my head. “Yes please. Please move in.”

He blinks rapidly, a smile instantly splitting across his face and he moves quickly with an excited yell to straddle my lap, his arms wrapping tightly around my neck.

“Is that a yes?” I ask, laughing when I feel rapid-fire kisses all over my face.

His arms wrap viper-tight around my neck and I hear a muffled, excited “yes!” somewhere near my ear.

He loosens his hold to give my shoulders a shake. “Yes! Yes of course you gorgeous, silly man!” He suddenly gasps, his hands cupping my face and his eyes wide. “Can I bring my bread maker?”

I laugh. “You can bring your _mom_ if you want; I just want to live with you.”

He gives me an adoring look, his thumbs brushing over my cheeks as he briefly touches his brow to mine and then presses the softest of kisses to my lips. “I _love_ you.”

I hum into his kiss, blinking in surprise when he suddenly rips his lips away from mine and hops up. He grabs my hand, pulling me up off the sofa and reaches for the remote, pointing it at the TV and switching it off. “Let’s go celebrate.”

“You’re going to make me put clothes on and go out?”  I groan.

“Pfft,” he drags me towards the bedroom. “I’m going to make you take clothes _off_ and I’m keeping you all to myself.”

“Oh,” I smirk, pacified. “Ok then, lead the way.”

oOo

Hard to believe that was only a week ago. Two nights ago was supposed to be the night. His shift had finished a good eight hours before mine that day, so the plan was for him to head straight over to my– now _our_ apartment to start moving in. Never had I been so desperate for a shift to end so that I could go home to find Levi amongst a chaos of boxes, ignoring them all in favour of baking bread in the kitchen.

When I got home, however, it was quiet. The smile slid from my face when I walked through the door, already calling his name, only to note that the lights were off and there were no boxes to be seen anywhere. I called out for him, and nothing. Flicking on the lights I was already reaching for my cell to call him and check that everything was ok, to see what the hold-up had been, but then something caught my eye. Or rather, an empty space where Levi’s cook books used to stand in my kitchen caught my eye.

Instantly a spike of unease, a sinking feeling of imminent disappointment and anxiety began to rise in me. The few text books he left here to study, gone. His toothbrush and razor in the bathroom, gone. The spare draw in the bedroom dresser where he kept a few changes of clothes now stood open and empty. Instead of making himself at home, he’d removed himself from it completely. The only question was why?

It took me a few minutes to gather the courage to call him, afraid of what he was going to say when he picked up, but he didn’t pick up. When the voicemail clicked over, all I could say was… “Levi…um, I don’t know what… are you ok? Call me.”

He didn’t call, instead he texted, and not until hours later when I was _really_ beginning to worry and on the verge of driving to his mother’s house.

Levi: I’m so sorry

Me: Are you ok? What’s going on?

Levi: I just need some space, I’m sorry I know how that sounds.

Me: I’m really confused here, Levi.

Levi: I know. I’m not sure if I can do this.

Me: This? Move in? Or do you mean us? Why are we texting, can I call?

Levi: Please don’t call. I can’t hear your voice right now, it’ll be too much.

Me: Just talk to me.

Levi: I think I may have gotten ahead of myself here. With this. With us.

Me: Moving in, or…?

Levi: All of it.

Me: You don’t have to move in, if it’s too soon then that’s ok, we can just carry on as we are

Levi: No. We can’t.

Me: Of course we can. If I put pressure on you to do this then I’m sorry, that wasn’t my intension. I can totally wait. Let’s just go back to how it was. You can still keep your books and toothbrush over here, that’s nothing, right?

Levi: Stop. Stop being so nice.

Me: I don’t know what you want from me.

Me: Levi?

Me: You still there?

Levi: I am so, so sorry.

Me: I don’t understand. What’s changed in a day? You were as excited as I was to do this a day ago, everything was fine, I don’t understand.

Levi: I’m just overwhelmed, Nico. I’m completely overwhelmed.

Me: What can I do?

Levi: There’s nothing you can do

Me: That’s ridiculous, of course there is.

Levi: I know how unfair a request this is, but can I please just have some time and space to think? I’m so sorry to hurt you, that’s the last thing I want to do but I need breathing room.

Me: Will you eventually explain this all to me?

Levi: Of course.

Me: I love you.

Me: Levi?

Me: Levi…

Me: Levi please

Me: ok then.

His silence was deafening, and what’s worse, he never called. Two days and nothing. All voicemails and texts, after a day of leaving him alone –the longest I could manage, much to my embarrassment– went completely unanswered. I don’t even know if we’re together. He’s avoided me completely at work which is easily achieved given how conflicting our shifts are this week, but he’s made sure to not cross paths with me regardless.

I feel stupid. I feel alone. But on the plus side I’m nicely drunk at Joes, hoping, as pathetic as it sounds, that he might turn up. Linc keeps trying to cheer me up, which is annoying, but eventually even he took the hint and now I’m sat alone at the bar, throwing back shots and casting the occasional glance over at the interns who sit together at one of the tables. They know, they must do.

A hand on my shoulder makes my jolt.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, do you?” Linc says quietly beside me, glancing at the table of interns like he can read my mind.

I shrug his hand off. “They’re probably over there laughing.”

“No, no one’s laughing, Nico.” He says gently.

I tap one of the empty shot glasses in front of me on the bar to get the bartender’s attention. “Another, please.” I settle for my beer bottle, slumping further over the bar and picking at the label.

“Nico…” Linc says, though I can tell he doesn’t know what to say.

“It’s fine.” I shrug. “He doesn’t want to be with me anymore…” I clench my jaw and swallow hard. “Would just be nice to know why.”

Linc squeezes my shoulder; unable to find the right thing to say because there is nothing he can say.

I throw back the shot as soon as it’s placed in front of me. “’Cuz you know, if I just knew what I did wrong perhaps I could fix it, but….” I turn my head away from him when to my utter mortification my voice begins to tremble. This is so dumb.

“Why don’t you let me drive you home?”

“He was going to bring his bread maker.” I mutter. “I made space for it and everything.”

“What?” Linc asks, frowning.

“Two beers, please.”

We both glance to the side and see Helm standing there, ordering drinks. She glances at us and then just as quickly looks away, her stance suddenly uncomfortable.

“Hey,” I say, to get her attention. “Taryn, right?”

She clears her throat, looking at Linc and then at me. “Yes.”

“Has he spoken to you? Is he staying with you?” I try to stand casually but fail abysmally as I almost lose my footing. Linc’s hand under my arm steadies me.

“Ok,” he says. “Time for me to take you home.”

“One second.” I try and shrug him off again but he won’t let me. “Hey, just tell me…is he ok at least?”

She takes the two beers handed to her and pauses as she turns away from the bar. “No, not really.”

Without saying another word she heads back to her table. I look at Linc and give him a humourless laugh. “I’ve got quite the knack for embarrassing myself in front of interns, apparently.”

“Time for home, come on.”

“I hate this feeling.” I admit quietly. “I hate it.”

“I know buddy, come on.”

I throw some cash onto the bar, and then with my hand subtly using his shoulder for balance I follow him out. He somehow gets me to my car, fishes the keys out of my pocket and drives me home. He even gets me into the elevator, taking me up five floors to my apartment. I’m half asleep when suddenly he stops in his tracks.

“You’ve got some nerve, don’t you?”

I look at him. “What?”

“Not you.”

He gestures ahead and I feel a sudden punch to the gut when I see Levi stand from where he’d been sat crossed legged, his back to my front door. I immediately try and stand by myself, straightening my clothes.

“Uh, I can stay, if you need me to…” Linc says with a small frown, clearly unsure as to what he should do in this situation.

“Please go,” Levi says. “We need to talk.”

“Not your call to make.” Linc says with an edge to his voice. “What do you want me to do, Nico? Want me to get him out of here?”

I suddenly hate that I’m drunk. I shake my head no. “No, he owes me an explanation.” I walk towards the front door, swaying on my feet only slightly as I clumsily fiddle with my keys. “And then he can leave.”

Linc lets out a heavy sigh, running his hand through his hair. Eventually he holds both hands up, palms out and shrugs helplessly. “Alright. _Call me_ , ok? Call if you need anything.”

He spares Levi an unfriendly look and then leaves.

I unlock the door, glancing back at Levi behind me who lifts remorseful, bloodshot eyes to meet mine. “So did you forget something when you were getting your crap out of my apartment? Is that why you’re here? Because I know you’re not here to speak to me. You don’t like talking to me anymore, apparently.”

I push the door open, flipping the switch and throwing my keys towards where the table stands, though I’m pretty sure I hear them hit the tiled floor of the kitchen instead.

“I deserve that.” He says quietly, dropping his backpack by the door.

I yank the fridge door open, reaching for a beer.

“Are you sure you should–” he stops dead when glance back at him. “Sorry.” He practically whispers.

“So do I offer you one?” I snort. “I mean I know you’re probably not staying long, but what’s protocol for when your ex turns up on your doorstep unannounced?”

“Is that what I am now?”

“You tell me.” I set the beer down on the kitchen counter with a thump. “I mean what the hell, Levi?”

He flinches, closing his eyes and nodding. “I know. You don’t have to say it. I took the coward’s way out; I just didn’t know what to do.”

“You _talk_ to me, that’s what!”

He nods his head. “I’m sorry, you’re right.”

I turn away for a moment, shoulders slumping. “Am I just a complete idiot, here? Did I imagine this relationship and try to make it something that it’s not, or…?”

He shakes his head. “No, no I was right there with you, what we have–”

“Have or had? I don’t even know if we’re together.”

I see his jaw clench, his eyes growing glassy. “I know I don’t want to be broken up? I don’t want to be without you.”

“Then _why_ , Levi?” I suddenly feel exhausted. “What went wrong, and why would you let me just…just _stew_ over this without any answers?”

He glances at the sofa. “Can we sit?”

I sigh, feeling admittedly tired and unsteady on my feet, so I make my way over to the sofa and sit in the corner, hands in my lap. He sits down beside me, lifting one knee to face me, inching closer as if he’s afraid of crowding me.

“I didn’t mean to let you stew. It’s just taken a minute to get my thought process inline to…to try and make sense of this.” He frowns sadly. “I hate that I did this to you, I’ve only ever wanted to make you happy.”

He takes a deep breath and then reaches to gently turn my chin to face him. “First of all, I love you. That didn’t fade for a second, I love you like nothing else and while…while I like the direction this is going in, there are certain things that I…that I feel _we_ are not ready for.”

I feel the flush of rejection and embarrassment creep up my neck and swallow hard. “I told you,” I admit quietly. “If you didn’t want to move in that’s fine–”

He closes his eyes and shakes his head in frustration. “I want to move in; I didn’t fake that reaction when you asked. I was over the goddamn _moon_.”

I stare at him. “Then colour me freakin’ confused, Levi.”

“I’m talking about…” he struggles with his words and breaks off with an audible sigh. “I don’t want to hurt you any more than I already have, I hate seeing you this vulnerable, or at least _this_ kind of vulnerable...”

“Levi–”

“I found the ring.” He says softly.

I feel a deep frown etch across my brow. “What?”

“When I was unpacking? I found it, at…at the back of the sock draw?”

Realisation dawns on me and I’m hit with a gut clenching, curdling sense of mortification. I close my eyes and stand, turning my back to him and rubbing the back of my neck. “Oh god…”

“No, no…” I hear him stand behind me and his hands grip the back of my sweater to keep me from walking away. “Please don’t be embarrassed, I…” he lets out a harsh breath. “This is why I needed time, I didn’t want to end things I just didn’t know how to…how to say _no_.” He says as delicately as possible. “How do I say no to the sweetest, most beautiful gesture from the sweetest most beautiful guy in the world without losing him?”

“Any chance I can convince you it’s not what you think it is?”

“I know what an engagement ring looks like, Nico.” He says softly, making me wince.

 “Can you… can you please just leave? This…this is beyond mortifying I can’t–”

“No.” He says firmly, his arms suddenly wrapping tightly around my waist, his cheek pressed against the back of my shoulder. “No you’re going to have to pry me off and force me out the door. I won’t let you be embarrassed by…by what is the sweetest, most romantic…” His voice breaks and I hear him take a shaky breath as he presses his forehead to the nape of my neck. “I love you, and I will make you feel that if it kills me.” He peppers kisses against my shoulders.  “I love you, I love you, I love you…”

“I wasn’t… it’s not…”

“It’s ok; you don’t have to explain anything. _I’m_ the one who acted terribly and I am so sorry for–”

“No. I mean I wasn’t waiting for you to move in to…to propose. I wasn’t going to propose.”

He freezes behind me, then forcibly turns me to face him. I can barely bring myself to meet his gaze. “Excuse me?”

I swallow hard. “What…what I mean to say is that…”

“Nico, please tell me I didn’t just have a complete mental breakdown over what is nothing more than a simple misunderstanding.”

“That ring…”

He lets go of my arms, taking a step back. Now it’s him that looks mortified. “Oh god, that ring wasn’t for me at all, was it? Oh gross, you probably bought it for an ex and I just assumed–”

“I bought it for you.”

He frowns. “Then I don’t understand.”

I quickly wet my lips. “It’s for you. I had every intention of eventually proposing to you with that ring…at some point in the future.”

He studies me closely and for the life of me I can’t read him, even when he steps closer. “When did you buy that ring?”

I wince. “Don’t make me answer that.”

“ _Nico_.” He insists, though his voice is soft.

Realising that I am not getting out of this unscathed, without eating some intense humble pie, I sit back down on the sofa. He sits next to me and then changes his mind, sitting instead sideways right in my lap.

“So you can’t walk away from this.” He explains.

Without thinking my hand rests on his leg, when I realise what I’m doing I awkwardly move it away but his hand quickly catches mine and rests it back on his thigh. “Go on,” he encourages.

“You remember when we went to Kerry Park?”

“We go there a lot.”

“The first time.”

He nods, a fond smile pulling at his lips. “Ok.”

“We were sitting on a bench, and I was alternating between devouring a hotdog and yammering on about playing football in college…”

“I remember, Mr Quarterback.”

“Well, you were kind of sitting there, leaning your arm over the back of the bench, resting your chin in your hand and you had this…this little smile on your face?”

“I like listening to you talk.”

I give him a small smile. “Anyway, you told me to ‘hang on a second’ and you kind of bit your lip and reached to wipe what I’m sure was a very sexy splodge of mustard from the corner of my mouth.”

He laughs. “I remember that. You were so damn cute.”

“Well, you kind of looked at me like…I don’t know. Like I was this secret you wanted to keep? Like at that moment, the whole world was just the two of us on that bench.” I lift a shoulder in a shrug. “And I just knew.”

“Knew what?”

“That I wanted you to look at me like that forever. That I wanted to be sitting on that park bench with you fifty years from now, with you wiping mustard away from my goddamn mouth.”

He lets out a watery laugh, lifting his hand to stroke his thumb against my cheek.

“I knew that the best thing that would ever happen to me had already happened – meeting you. I suddenly wanted everything I’d always shrugged off as cliché.”

“Like what?”

 I lift my shoulder again in a half-shrug. “Lazy Sunday mornings in bed. You brining me coffee, you reading the paper. Getting a dog. Buying a house. Arguing over what cutlery to add to the registry or where we’d honeymoon. Mortgages, kids… all of it. All that stuff suddenly made sense.”

There’s a catch in his voice when he speaks. “Because I wiped mustard away from your mouth?”

I shake my head. “Because you already felt like home. Because nothing would ever compare to just sitting with you on that park bench.”

He lets out a harsh breath. “ _Nico_ …” He pulls me into soft yet urgent kiss. His breath shudders against my lips and I only pull away when I feel his tears against my cheek.

“What’s this?” I ask softly, brushing away the dampness from beneath his eyes.

“I nearly walked away from you. I can’t believe I almost walked away from this.”

“I guess I understand why you were feeling overwhelmed. I probably would have been too, in your shoes.”

“I handled it poorly.”

I concede to that with a tilt of my head. “Yes.” And he laughs.

“When did you…?”

“When did I buy the ring?”

He nods.

“It just kind of happened. I saw it the next day in a store front and I instantly imagined dropping to one knee with that ring in my hand one day. It seemed perfect, and oddly enough not crazy?”

“No?” He laughs a little. “That day in the park… Nico, it was only our second date.”

I press my lips together in a tight line, feeling heat touch my cheeks. “It already felt inevitable, like a done deal, it was just a matter of when. I figured having the ring would just mean I’d be prepared for when the right day did arrive.”

He gently touches his brow to mine, sniffing quietly. “You are so precious to me, you know that?”

“So this isn’t over?”

“We could never be over, even if we tried.”

“You know you don’t have to move in, right? We can move completely at your speed and –”

“That _is_ my speed.”

“So…?”

He nods. “If you can forgive my slight freak out, I’d very much like to still move in. Nowhere else is going to feel like home now.”

I pull him tighter against me, relief rushing through me. “When I thought we were over?” I murmur, a lump forming in my throat. “I didn’t…I didn’t even know what to do with myself. Two days, just two measly days and I was so miserable without you.”

He hugs me close, his hand stroking over the back of my head and his lips pressing against my temple. “I will never let you feel that again, I swear.”

“Ok, good. Now let’s go get your stuff.”

He lets out a surprised laugh. “It’s gone midnight; you want me to move now?”

“Just the little things. Your cook books, your tooth brush…”

He smiles. “What do you think’s in my backpack?”

There’s that sense of relief again. “Ok. Next thing on the agenda then is to throw away that goddamn ring.”

“What? _No_.”

I stare at him for a second. “Are you _kidding_ me right now?”

“No, hey, look.” He says with a small laugh. “Am I ready to get married? No, not even close and I don’t think you are either. But that’s not to say that I don’t love that that’s where you see this going.”

“You’re sure?”

The look he gives me is intimate and his finger strokes over my cheek as his eyes drop to my lips. His voice is soft and smooth. “Thinking of you on one knee with that ring makes me weak. You are absolutely my future. But that’s the future. Our present is just you and me in this apartment with a long stretch of time ahead of us.”

“So…what? I keep it in the sock draw?”

A smile that I don’t quite understand spreads across his lips and whispers in my ear “keep it secret, keep it safe.”

 

 

 

 


	2. A Proposal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Second time around, this milestone is right on queue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a fic request from schmicosmalec on tumblr, it's her birthday today so go send her some love!

There was only one place I could think of that would be absolutely perfect, and that’s the bench at Kerry Park.

To be honest, I’d forgotten all about the ring in the back of the sock draw until I’d stumbled upon it while packing. Except this time I wasn’t unpacking and filling the draw, this time I was emptying the draw to pack for our new house.

 _Our_  house. With our careers now more firmly set in place, myself a fellow and Nico a resident, we’d come to the conclusion that we had outgrown the apartment and needed more room. I wanted somewhere homey with two floors and lots of natural light. Nico wanted somewhere for his weights and all my nerdy crap. His actual words.

I am so fond of that apartment, it holds so many memories for me but it was time to move on. So it was with a bittersweet feeling that while I had the day off, I’d start the mammoth task of gathering enough boxes to start packing. Nico was  _conveniently_  on shift. Well, it wasn’t just convenient it was a fact, he was on shift. Still, kind of typical.

When My hand landed on the box I pulled it out with a frown, then let out a breathy laugh when realising what I’d found. Instantly, memories of our almost breakup, the only one in our entire relationship and the conversation which followed came rushing back…

_“And I just knew.”_

_“Knew what?”_

_“That I wanted you to look at me like that forever. That I wanted to be sitting on that park bench with you fifty years from now, with you wiping mustard away from my goddamn mouth.”_

_“I knew that the best thing that would ever happen to me had already happened – meeting you. I suddenly wanted everything I’d always shrugged off as cliché.”_

_“Like what?”_

_“Lazy Sunday mornings in bed. You brining me coffee, you reading the paper. Getting a dog. Buying a house. Arguing over what cutlery to add to the registry or where we’d honeymoon. Mortgages, kids… all of it. All that stuff suddenly made sense.”_

_“Because I wiped mustard away from your mouth?”_

_“Because you already felt like home. Because nothing would ever compare to just sitting with you on that park bench.”_

The first time my hand had landed on that small, black box I’d instantly slid into complete meltdown mode. This time around? Warmth spread through me and right then, the same way he’d known I was the guy for him back then, I knew it was exactly the right time to marry the man I loved more than anything.

Only I was pretty sure he’d probably forgotten about that ring, just as I had. Which is what has lead me here, to our bench a week later, when I should be  _unpacking_  the last of our boxes in our new home. See, I kind of know how I want this to go, and it’s romantic as  _hell_.

That doesn’t stop the butterflies from doing summersaults in my stomach though, the very same butterflies that have followed our relationship since day one. I just hope I have enough time to do this during his lunch break; because all I know for sure is that this cannot wait another single day.

I reach into my pocket when I hear my phone ping, and it’s a text from Nico.

_The babe: Looking mighty cute there, mister._

I laugh and look up and down the path to see him striding towards me, grinning. What a goddamn handsome man. Still in his scrubs just with a jacket thrown on top, he is the epitome of beautiful.  _Look_  at him, just look at him. Everybody gets one special someone if they’re lucky and look at mine. I must have been Ghandi in my previous life or something because thank you karma.

I stand when he reaches the bench and grip the front of his jacket as he dips his head for a kiss. I don’t even need to tug because his hand at the nape of my neck pulls me in. “Hey you,” he murmurs. “This is a nice surprise.”

I give him one final kiss and then pull him down to sit. “It has been too long since we’ve sat on our bench, and I know you probably only have five minutes so I grabbed you….” I reach behind me and lift his lunch which nestled in napkins “lunch!”

He gives me a fond smile. “A hotdog with mustard, the official bench meal.” He leans forward to press a quick kiss to my lips. “You sure know how to take care of your man.” He takes a big Nico-sized bite and of course  _of course_  he gets a tiny blob of mustard in the corner of his mouth. “How’s the unpacking going?”

I can’t help it; I feel mirth bubble up in me even as he’s launching into conversation. With my elbow leaning across the back of the bench I cover my grin with the back of my hand before reaching out, laughter in my voice. “Hold up, just…” my thumb wipes the corner of his mouth.

He snorts, doing his best to cover his mouth with his fist as he laughs at himself.

I shake my head fondly at him. “Literally every time.”

He eventually swallows his mouthful and then wipes at his mouth with the heel of his hand. “What would I do without you, huh?”

“Probably walk around covered in mustard.”

He smiles warmly at me, laughing quietly, and even after all this time I’m still mesmerised by the sight, that I am able to elicit that response from him.

“How’d I get so lucky, huh?” I say softly as I lean my cheek against my fist, watching him fondly.

“What’s that mean?” He asks as he finishes his dog and wipes his hand on the napkin, leaning back comfortably. “And thank you for lunch.”

“I mean what did I ever do to deserve someone as wonderful as you? Handsome, sweet, always making me laugh...”

He tilts his head at me, his lips pressing together in a shy smile – _still_ , after all this time, a compliment from me and only me can make him bashful. He glances away to look at his hands.

“Well someone’s in a good mood…” he narrows his eyes. “You broke something, didn’t you?”

“What?” I laugh.

“Unpacking, you broke something of mine? That’s why you’re buttering me up with compliments and hotdogs in our favourite park on our favourite bench…”

“Well that’s a fine way to– ok yes I broke something.” I admit, snorting and shrugging as he laughs again. “But it was just a vase and that’s actually not why I asked to meet you for lunch today.”

“So why, then? Not that I’m complaining. I hate when our days off don’t sync up.”

“I actually need you to do something for me.”

Intrigued, he raises one eyebrow. “Anything, what is it?”

I take a deep breath, and then pull the small ring box from my jacket pocket. I turn it over in my hands and look up at him when I hear his quiet intake of breath.

“I need you to propose to me.”

He wipes his hand over his mouth before leaning his elbows on his knees, his balled up fist lifting to cover his smile. “Uh…” There’s a tremble to his voice when he speaks. “Levi, you…” he breaks off, his throat bobbing as he swallows.

“Only, I mean this…” I shake the box between my thumb and forefinger. “Well this was a few years ago now,” I shrug. “Perhaps you’re a little foggy on how this should go. So I thought maybe if I showed you…?”

I slowly move to crouch just in front of him, then down onto one knee.

“Oh my god,” he whispers, looking away and then back, a breathless laugh escaping his lips as his hands rub over his thighs. When his eyes meet mine there’s a definite sheen to them. “This is really happening…”

I give him a smirk I’m pretty sure I stole from him. “You should probably get down on one knee, like this. Open the box, like this…” I turn it, opening it to face him. “And then…” I shake my head minutely, as if it were no big deal. “Say something ridiculously romantic like…you are the love of my life. I adore you; I love you more today than I did yesterday, but not as much as I will tomorrow…”

He lets out a watery laugh, and when his fingers stroke over his brow there’s definitely a tremble to them. “Levi…”

“And then the  _big_  question of course...”

“You’re– you’re actually doing this,” he says, grinning unabashedly. “You’re proposing to yourself, via me, with a ring for you.” He laughs.

I grin along with him. “Well when you say it like that it sounds a little strange, so how about we do it another way…” I close the box and set it down beside him. “Seeing as I’m already down on one knee and all,” I reach into my other pocket and pull out another small box, this one grey. “And that I just happen to have another ring, why don’t I just…take the lead?”

I hear his breath hitch, his brows arching together and his smile shaky. “ _Levi_ ,” he gasps quietly, pressing the back of his hand to his mouth for a moment.

“Though if I may, I think I’ll keep it relatively simple by modestly saying… I love you.” I pause to swallow hard. “I will always love you, and I would be honoured to call you my husband. Will…” I quickly wet my lip. “Will you please marry me, Nico?”

He lets out a broken, flustered laugh, nodding his head before he can speak. I feel tears prick at my own eyes and swallow hard. “Yes?” I ask, my cheeks hurting for how hard I’m smiling. “Is that a–?”

“ _Yes_.” He says firmly, not a shred of doubt in his voice as his hand reaches out to cup around the back of my neck, pulling me into his kiss. And there’s something special about this kiss because ordinarily he is pure elegance, he’s composed seduction, but right now he’s trembling. He’s completely shaking apart from how happy he is, and I’m more humbled than I could ever possibly convey to know that I am the reason.

My hand holds onto his wrist, and as I stand he stands with me, his arms wrapping around me as he clutches me impossibly close. Tearful laughter rings in my ear. “You just proposed to me, Levi.”

I press my lips to his neck, to his cheek, my hand lifting to brush his chin. “I did. You said yes.”

He nods his head. “I did.”

He loosens his grip to gently cup my face, his voice hitches slightly when he speaks. “I’m engaged to the best guy in the whole world.” He kisses me softly, and up close I can see the dampness clinging to his lashes. “I love you so much.” He whispers.

Despite my best efforts my throat grows thick with emotion. “I love you too.” I whisper back. “We’re  _engaged_.”

He laughs, nods his head. “We’re totally engaged.” He pulls me into another firm kiss. “Gonna marry you, Levi. I’m gonna marry you and spend my whole life with you.”

I smile, humming happily when he touches his brow to mine. “So fifty years from now, we’ll be sitting on this bench together, yes?”

He nods his head. “It’s a date, handsome.”

“Then I’m hopeful that you’ll like my little pre-wedding gift.”

He pulls back slightly. “What?”

I nod towards the bench, and I can tell it takes him a second to notice the difference. He leans down, and then sits, his arm sliding over the back of it as looks down at the small, bronze plaque with an engraved message which was not there a week ago.

_Nico, my today, and all of my tomorrows, Levi._

I sit beside him, oddly nervous. “It really is our bench now. Well, sort of. See, you can ‘adopt’ a bench by donation to the park conservancy. Though I’m going to buy it for you outright one day, I promise.” 

He wipes a hand over his mouth and then turns to me as he’s shaking his head, frowning sadly. He doesn’t say anything though, just pulls me into another kiss. “I can’t believe you did that.” He says against my lips.

My thumb follows the shape of his jaw. “I’m only sorry I couldn’t give you the whole park.”

 He lets out a quiet laugh, his eyes glassy with unshed tears. They widen slightly when a thought occurs to him. “Let’s do it here.”

“Wh–? I-I’m pretty sure people get arrested for that, baby.”

“No I–” he drops his chin, laughing softly. “ _Married_ , let’s get married in this park.”

I instantly love the idea. “That’s perfect.”

“ _You’re_  perfect.”

I snicker quietly. “You say that now but wait until you get home and realise it was your mother’s vase I broke.”

He closes his eyes and laughs a defeated laugh, his shoulders sagging. “Oh god.”

“But isn’t the bench pretty?” I remind him quickly and he tips his head back and laughs.

“I love you,” he laughs.

“That’s just as well because that was a verbal agreement which is legally binding and you’re officially mine. All mine. Everyone else can suck it you are property of Levi Schmitt  _the end_.” I nod. “That’s the first draft of my wedding vows, by the way.”

His shoulders lift as he lets out a small, helpless laugh. “Beautiful.”

“No,” I say softly, almost dreamily. “That’s you in a tux, with that ring on your finger.”   

He smiles at me fondly. “C’mere you.” His thumb tips my chin up slightly as I lean forward for what I think is a kiss, but just before his lips touch mine he speaks, his voice soft. “Husband.”

We kiss on our bench.

**Author's Note:**

> "Keep it secret, keep it safe" - Gandalf when telling Frodo what to do with the ring of power. Yes, I adore Tolkien and in my HC Levi does too.


End file.
